PUB - Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld

This chapter outlines the current state of the theory that is the base of our research: faith development theory. From an overview of our past and current Chattanooga-Bielefeld research, we can identify convergencies with other areas in psychology: Change and development in faith relates to recent discussions in personality psychology about an integrative understanding of the dynamics and processes of personality development. Faith development theory has a clear conceptual and empirical focus on styles and types as components of a structural-developmental model, and with Fowler’s work we are in agreement about a wide conceptualization of ‘faith,’ which corresponds to ‘worldview’ to encompasses religious, spiritual, non-theistic, and secular versions of meaning-making. The central assumption that development in faith proceeds in progressing styles and types implies that faith in development has a direction and an aim, which is openness for dialog and wisdom in encountering the Strange; this leads to the consideration whether and how research faith development is a contribution to wisdom research.